Starting
in the late 1800's, roadhouses scattered along the rivers, trails, and
railroads of the far north were vital and welcome shelter for miners,
laborers, and adventurers traversing the Alaskan and Canadian wilderness.
Talkeetna Roadhouse, built in 1917 and opened as a roadhouse in 1944,
is one of the few such establishments still surviving. The Roadhouse provides
hearty food and adequate, if not luxurious, lodging to travelers in the
quirky and remote village of Talkeetna.

Trisha Costello
and her energetic crew of cooks and servers dish up their rib-sticking
fare for breakfast and lunch. They provide a delectable selection of baked
goods seven days a week during the tourist season and on weekends through
the winter. The Roadhouse is open for supper only on special occasions.

On all my
visits, the café was filled to overflowing. Seating is communal
- you're expected to grab an available chair at one of the large tables.
Once seated, you can't help mingling with interesting folks, locals and
travelers from around the world. Mountain climbers are frequent customers,
and a number of McKinley/Denali climbing teams have made the Roadhouse
their headquarters. Maps, pennants, and autographed photos of climbers
cover the rough-hewn plank walls of the dining rooms.

Menus for
the day are handwritten on chalk boards in both dining areas, and meals
come in full and half portions. Servings are generous--unless you have
a really hefty appetite, a half portion is more than enough.

Breakfast
menus include traditional favorites with a local twist: pan-scrambled
bacon and eggs with fried potatoes, sourdough hotcakes, and biscuits with
reindeer sausage gravy. The equally tempting lunch menu features huge
sandwiches on thick slices of home-made wheat bread and hearty soups.

The Roadhouse
is a welcoming beacon of hospitality in the Alaskan wilderness, and it's
an important piece of Alaskan history. No visit to Talkeetna
is complete without a meal there.